The ten worst Colorado bike collisions of 2012

In 2012, a lot more people rode their bikes in Denver and throughout the state -- which led to an overall jump in the number of crashes. But a more ominous trend, perhaps, was the growing tension on the road between cars and cyclists, resulting in a steady stream of high-profile collisions....some cultural, some physical. Here, we take a look back at the worst of them -- the bizarre, the unimaginable and in two cases, the very tragic ones. 10. Doug Linkhart's crash on Bike To Work Day

Doug Linkhart

It's supposed to be a celebratory day for cyclists in Denver, but Doug Linkhart, a former Denver City Council member, did not make it to the party. That's because Linkhart, currently the manager of the city's Department of Environmental Health, was sent flying off his bike on 23rd Avenue at Downing Street, after a pickup truck went to make a left turn and collided with him on his way to Bike To Work Day. The driver was not particularly apologetic to Linkhart, who went to the hospital instead of the mayor's celebratory event. The accident sparked a bike-safety debate at a subsequent Denver City Council meeting.

9. Bike crash, stripper
Justin Jay makes our top ten list not because he or anyone else in this accident was very badly injured -- but because he made quite a spectacle after his collision. A nude spectacle, that is. At around 5:47 p.m. on a Wednesday in June, Denver police received a report about a crash involving a bicycle and a scooter on Irving Street near the 35th Avenue intersection. Jay, 30, was not pleased with the crash or the attention he received from bystanders. He then reportedly tried to assault the woman who had been on the scooter, as well as other onlookers. Apparently not satisfied with the scene he was causing, he started throwing whatever he could find at cars. And then removed his clothes.

8. Fort Collins hit and run

Dave Dornan.

Courtesy of Dave Dornan

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After running a red light and slamming into a cyclist, it's a good idea to stay on the scene and make sure the bike rider, who did not break any laws but was still sent flying to the ground, is doing all right. Instead, earlier this month the driver of a Ford Explorer in Fort Collins decided to speed away. Cyclist Dave Dornan, 62, told us after the crash that he could barely remember the collision or the immediate aftermath. Fortunately, there were several witnesses who saw the driver speed through the red light; unfortunately, they did not catch a glimpse of his license plate -- but police officials confirm that the driver was in the wrong. Dornan is recovering and wants to get back on his bike soon.